Master of Arts (Scotland)

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For other uses, see Master of Arts.

A Master of Arts in Scotland is an academic degree in humanities and social sciences awarded by the four ancient universities of Scotland, the University of Dundee and also Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh. The degree course usually lasts four years, although it is possible to finish a course after three years and be awarded an "ordinary degree".

The US academic system was modelled on the system of Scotland. Scottish "Ordinary Degrees" are roughly equivalent to US Bachelor's degrees.

[edit] Subjects awarded

The MA only applies to fine art, humanities, social sciences and theology within these universities. The Honours degree of Bachelor of Science (BSc) is awarded for four years of study in the field of science and the honours Bachelor of Laws (LLB) is the four year legal degree (again with an ordinary available after three years). Newer undergraduate degrees are either undergraduate Bachelors or undergraduate Masters in the advanced undergraduate degree scheme as above.

[edit] Status

Scottish/[[Oxbridge] MAs are seen by some as being within the cohort of advanced undergraduate degrees such as MMath or MSci, mostly as a combination of the title of "Master of Arts" (as opposed to the title of Bachelor) and also by virtue of being granted by a leading research university with a long history.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Honours

As opposed to the Oxbridge MA (which has no honours as there are no separate exams for the award of MA), the Scottish MA is awarded with the same system of honours as other British undergraduate degrees, for example "MA (Hons) Upper Second Class".

Academic degrees v • d • e
Associate's degrees (U.S.)	AA, AAS, ABA, ABS, AOS, AS, AMusA (Australia), ASN
Foundation degrees (U.K.)	FdA, FdEd, FdEng, FdMus, FdBus, FdSc, FdTech
Bachelor's degrees	AB or BA, BAcy, BAdm, BAgrEc, BArch, BBA, BBus, BCom or BComm, BCS, BCL, STB, BD, BDent, BDS, B.Ed., BEc, BEng or BE, BSBME, BFA, BHSc, BGS,BHE, BHK, BID, BJ, BTh, BLibStud, BLIS, BMath, BMedSc or BMedSci, BMus, BSN, BPE, BPharm, BS or BSc or SB, BSc(Agr) or BSA, BSocSci, BSW, BTech, LLA, LLB, MB ChB or MB BS or BM BS or MB BChir or MB BCh BAO, MA (Cantab.), MA (Dubl.), MA (Hons), MA (Oxon.)
Master's degrees	AM, M.Ag MArch, MA, MAT, MALS or MLS, MS or MSc, MSt, DEA, MAcy, MALD, MApol, MPhil, MRes, MFA, MTech, MBA, MBI, MBT, MComm, MCA, MDes, MTh, MTS, MDiv, MEd, MMT, MPA, MPD, MPS, MSN, MProfStuds, MJ, MST, MSW, MPAff, MLIS, MLitt, MPH, MPM, MPP, MPT, MRE, MTheol/ThM/MTh, STM, LLM, MEng, MSci, MBio, MChem, MPhys, MMath, MMS, MMedSc or MMedSci, MMus, MESci, MGeol, MTCM, MSSc, BCL (Oxon), BPhil (Oxon), ThM
Licentiate degrees:	Lic Arts, LDS, JCL, STL, SSL, LSS, PhL
Specialist degrees	EdS, SSP, CAS
Engineer's degrees	AE, BE, BME, CE, CE, ChE, EE, CpE, ECS, EnvE, IE, MSE, ME, NavE, NuclE, Ocean E, SysE, Eng
First-professional degrees	BDent, BDS, LLB, MB ChB or MB BS, MArch, MFA, AuD, DC, DCM, DDS, DMD, JD, MD (US), PharmD, DPT, ND, OD, DO (US only), DP, PodD, DPM, MDiv, MHL, DVM, PD, STB
Doctoral degrees	PhD, DPS, EdD, DEng, EngD, DEnv, DBA, DD, JCD, SSD, JUD, DSc, DLitt, DA, MD (out of US and Canada), DMA, DMus, DCL, ThD, DrPH, DPT, DPhil, PsyD, DSW, JD, LLD, LHD, JSD, SJD, JuDr, STD, DMin